The Moment I Realized I Can't Lose You novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16 

Rainey’s face flushed a deep crimson. She bit her lip. “Audrey, you’re 

misunderstanding. Joaquin and I were just-” 

Audrey didn’t stay to listen to her excuses, turning around and shutting her bedroom door. Their positioning, combined with Rainey’s smudged lipstick, had made everything perfectly clear. What was there to misunderstand? 

Watching Audrey retreat, Rainey dropped her innocent act, her eyes glittering with triumph. It was just a cheap camera trick of forced perspective, but that idiot actually fell for it? 

She turned around, looking down at the man who had already passed out on the sofa, 

and frowned. 

She had always thought Joaquin was fiercely loyal to her. She never imagined that in the single year she was away, he had actually started developing feelings for a country girl like Audrey! 

Determined to fix this, she went to the cabinet by the door and found the pills in the second drawer, just as Audrey had instructed. A drunk Joaquin was too dangerous and unpredictable. She needed him to sober up. 

Less than half an hour after swallowing the pills, the man began to regain 

consciousness. Though he still reeked of alcohol, his rationality was slowly 

returning. 

He scanned the living room, his gaze finally landing on Rainey. He frowned. “Why are you here?” 

“You were completely wasted.” Rainey flashed a coy smile. “Felix called me and asked me to bring you home…” 

The man pressed his long, elegant fingers against his throbbing temples. “Felix doesn’t know you’re back, and he certainly doesn’t have your number. How could he have called you?” 

In the past, whenever he drank too much, Felix had always called Audrey. 

The living room fell into an awkward silence. Evidently unprepared for a drunk Joaquin to be this sharp, Rainey didn’t have an excuse ready. She laughed awkwardly. “Actually… Audrey texted me.” 

She pulled out her phone and showed him the forwarded message. “Felix called her, but she didn’t want to pick you up, so…” 

Staring at the message on Rainey’s screen, Joaquin’s eyes darkened. Audrey’s words from earlier that day echoed in his ears. 

“Looking back, the memories of this past year only make me feel sick.” 

In the bedroom, Audrey was already asleep. Worried that whatever those two were doing downstairs might wake her, she had put in earplugs before going to bed. 

In her sleep-hazed state, she felt the mattress dip beside her, accompanied by the distinct smell of alcohol. 

Someone pulled her into an embrace from behind. The familiar warmth and scent told her instantly who it was. 

Whether fueled by alcohol or her new silky pajamas, the moment his large hands touched her smooth skin, an undeniable heat flared up within Joaquin. 

They were legally married, and he had no intention of holding back. He pulled her closer, his lips trailing hot kisses down the nape of her neck. 

His kisses were urgent and thorough, moving from her neck to her earlobe, down to her collarbone, and lower. 

Audrey was still half-asleep, the sensations making her feel like she was floating on clouds, her toes curling involuntarily. It wasn’t until a jolt of electricity shot straight to her brain that she snapped fully awake. 

In the dim glow of the bedside lamp, she clearly saw Joaquin pressing reverent kisses to her cheek. 

In the past, seeing him like this had always made her heart flutter. After all, this was the only time they were ever truly in sync. But now, all she could see was the image of him and Rainey kissing on the couch… 

The thought that he was kissing her with the exact same lips he had just used on Rainey made her stomach churn violently. She ripped out her earplugs and shoved the man off her. “Don’t touch me!”